back to the start
by veritas-always
Summary: She misses him. It's pathetic and sad but she does, and she regrets telling him she needed a break.


_This is based off of a prompt I found on tumblr. It'll be posted at the bottom so as not to give anything away._

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><p>His name flashes across her screen and she smiles.<p>

"You just can't leave me alone, can you?" she teases when she answers the phone.

"I miss you," he replies instead. She can hear the grin in his voice.

"You know you just saw me, oh, about two hours ago."

"Are you saying you don't miss me?"

"I'm saying I need to get some stuff done."

"I can help."

"No, you can't. You'll just come over and distract me," she tells him, fluttering around her kitchen and making a list of things she needs from the store.

"I'll be a good boy, I promise."

"Castle, I need a break," she says, trying to sound as sweet as possible.

She adores the man, she does, and has absolutely loved every minute they have spent together for the past month and a half. But she goes back to work in two weeks and she would like to be able to get back into her old routine before that happens.

So, yes, she needs the day to clean her apartment and run errands and just be by herself. She'll go to his place tomorrow, spend the weekend there. Then come Monday, she'll return back to a clean home and get into the groove of waking up early and being productive during the day. Although he might say that they _are _productive. She wants to be productive outside of the bedroom.

"A break?"

"Yeah. Look, you know I've loved spending time with you. I have. I just need to be on my own right now. Okay?"

"I- um. Kate, are you sure? I thought- you know what. Nevermind. Okay."

"Okay. Bye," she says distractedly, hanging up the phone and plugging it into the docking station to play music while she cleans her apartment. This will be good for them. They'll have to get used to being apart when she's working anyways.

She'll see him tomorrow.

* * *

><p>Kate wakes the next morning feeling refreshed and relaxed. She reaches across the bed for Rick before she realizes that she's at her apartment, not his. She smiles to herself and grabs her cell off the charger. Still no text or calls. She frowns and huffs out a sigh. She <em>did <em>ask for a day to herself. Finding his contact and hitting call, she listens to it ring a few times before going to voicemail.

_Okay. _Well, maybe he's still sleeping. It is- oh. It's 9:30. He's usually always up before her, making coffee or breakfast. He could be catching up on some much-needed rest. God only knows she needed to. She shoots him a text asking him to call her. She'll make some coffee and shower, maybe see if he wants to get lunch.

Yeah, she misses him. It's pathetic and sad but she does, and she regrets telling him she needed a break.

God, it was only one day.

When she steps out of the shower she checks her phone again, but he still hasn't called. It's nearing eleven now. She bites her lip, goes to set the phone down on the counter, but it's not like him to ignore her calls or texts.

She unlocks the phone and hits call on his name again. It rings twice before he answers.

"Castle."

"Hey," she breathes, relieved because, yeah, the cop in her was worried. "I called earlier and you didn't answer."

"I saw," he says shortly.

"Uh-" Wow. He's grumpy today. "Okay. Do you want to get lunch in a little bit?"

"Thought you wanted a break," he bites. Her throat clogs up because, yeah, she did, but she didn't know he was so upset about it. He sounds like he did after the bombing case, when he found Jacinda, but this time she _knows _she did nothing wrong. They were good yesterday. Perfect even.

"I did," she says, but it sounds more like a question. "Do you want to get lunch or not?"

"I guess."

"If it's such a burden to you then we don't-"

"I'll pick you up in thirty minutes," he interrupts before hanging up. She slumps against the counter. She'll get ready and he'll pick her up and they're _fine. _

He texts her when he's downstairs, so she grabs her purse and locks her apartment. He's driving his Mercedes today. When she slides into the passenger seat she expects something, a kiss, or even hand-holding. But she gets none of that. Just a question about where they're going to eat. She lets him decide, figures with the mood he's in she doesn't want to suggest something that he doesn't agree with.

He finds a small sports grill not far from her apartment and she follows him inside, waits until they are seated to bring up his sudden sourness.

"Are you okay?" she asks, watching his face as he scans the menu.

"Is that a trick question?" he tosses back, doesn't pay her a glance.

"You seem mad," she tells him softly.

"You said you wanted a break. Then you're calling me asking to go out for lunch. So, yeah, I'm a little irritated."

It makes sense now. He thought she meant a break from their relationship, from everything they've been building for the past month and a half and even longer. Oh, Rick.

She reaches across the table and grabs his hand, holding it tightly in her own.

"I didn't mean from you. From _us_. I just meant for the day. To clean and run errands and be ready to get back into the groove when I go back to the precinct. I'm sorry I wasn't more clear about that."

His face drops and he looks a lot of things, but mostly regretful and ashamed.

"I didn't- I just assumed," he says quietly, tangling his fingers with hers.

"I wish you wouldn't."

"I know. It's not fair."

"No, it isn't that it's not fair. I've just- I have given you many reasons to believe that I'll just run from this. I wish I wouldn't have."

"Yeah, but Kate," he squeezes her hand and his face is opening up again, "I trust you. I do. I know you're in this. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions. It wasn't anything you've done. Insecurities get the best of us sometimes, you know?"

"Yeah," she says, giving him a soft smile that he returns easily. "I was planning on staying with you for the weekend. I mean, if you want-"

"Of course. I always want you with me."

"Me too," she tells him.

And then it hits her that they fought, he was genuinely upset with her, they had a big misunderstanding, but they talked through it and they are okay and they are both still here.

They'll make it. She knows they will.

* * *

><p><em>Prompt: "Early season 5, she accidentally breaks up with him without realizing it (miscommunication, misunderstanding, etc.) and is very confused by his behavior thinking nothing is wrong."<em>

_As always, feedback is super appreciated. Thanks for reading!_


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